Ask Me Help Desk - Worried about Coverage

I have a question concerning a wreck my son had about 6 months ago. He totaled his vehicle. I was just glad he came out without a scratch. With this accident, he knock down one of the light poles.Anyway, he was fully covered and the insurance company paid me for the vehicle. Now yesterday I received a letter from the Energy Company where we pay out light bill. With this, the letter contain a $$ amount of over 2K. For the parts and labor of repairing this. It did indicate that a copy of this letter was sent to my insurance company. Now with one being fully covered, does the insurance pay for the total amount on this? I am calling them this evening after I get home. I just wanted to know if anyone knew the answer before I call them. Let me know, thanks!

Depends on the type of coverage you have. The insurance company paid for the car under the Collision provisions that insure against damage to the car. However, there is also Property and Casualty coverage that insures for damage to other property or to other persons. The damage to the light pole comes under that coverage. Most likely you are covered.

However, there is an issue of what you signed in accepting that check. You may have signed a waiver against further claims due to the incident. You may have accepted the check as FULL settlement for any damages incurred as a result of the accident which could have then released the insruance company.

So its really impossible for us to answer without knowing what coverage you have and under what conditions you accepted that check.

The energy company's letter came separately, correct? It wasn't included with your regular bill. I don't think $2K+ is an unreasonable amount for the repair and replacement of a light pole. Nor do I think it unreasonable for the company to bill you for the costs.

Scott,
When I settled with the company, the issue of the light pole never came up. And being that I am covered for other damages, I never really thought about it, thinking that this was done through the insurance company since the money was not to be paid to me directly. But when they gave me the money for the vehicle, it was stated that that was the money for the vehicle and nothing else. I understand what you are saying as for them being able to charge me for the damages, but, would they not cover the portion separately. Also, would the insurance not have received the written statement of damages for this accident?

It depends on who filed the claim and how it was filed. If you filed the claim and listed only damage to the car, then the insurance company is not going to know anything more. They are NOT likely to contact the utility or anyone else who might have suffered a loss unless you listed them in your claim.

I'd have to see the exact wording of the statement accompanying the check, but if it specified it was only for damage to the car, you should be OK.

I had an instance a while back when I was teaching my daughter to drive. She was making a right and made it too wide so she was headed for a collision with oncoming traffic. I told her to stop but she panicked and hit the gas instead of the brake. She also swung the wheel more to the right so she missed the oncoming, but swung around over the curb, through a hedge and into a tree on someone's property. Since there was more damage to my car then to the hedge or tree I was going to let it go, but the property owner wouldn't and filed a claim, so I went the whole hog and had my car repaired and let the insurance company deal with the property owner.

Most likely, that's what will happen here. Your insurance company will contact the utility after receiving their statement and settle with them.

Thanks Scott, I'll be calling the insurance company in a couple of hours and hopely I will not have any problems in settling this issue.

Hello, I will go on with this, this is paid under the liablity section of your car insurance, collission pays you for your car, comp pays for you car for things like hail damage or theft.

You liablity pays for damage to other peoples property. And I am surprised the adjuster had not contracted them, since a claim can not be fully settled until it is.

But yes merely contact your claims department, they will want to pay the average cost of the repair, if this cost is higher than they believe is correct they will want to settle for less. So you need to stay up with what they are doing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobbyC

I have a question concerning a wreck my son had about 6 months ago. He totaled his vehicle. I was just glad he came out without a scratch. With this accident, he knock down one of the light poles.Anyway, he was fully covered and the insurance company paid me for the vehicle. Now yesterday I received a letter from the Energy Company where we pay out light bill. With this, the letter contain a $$ amount of over 2K. for the parts and labor of repairing this. It did indicate that a copy of this letter was sent to my insurance company. Now with one being fully covered, does the insurance pay for the total amount on this? I am calling them this evening after I get home. I just wanted to know if anyone knew the answer before I call them. Let me know, thanks!

It's covered!